Criticizing the Schools

This letter is addressed to all taxpayers. In the Los Angeles metropolitan area, teachers have been compelled to endure, silently, the proverbial "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." With budgets expanding relentlessly, our budgets for books have been reduced to what might be more appropriately termed poverty levels. And this is despite the fact that lottery money has recently entered the scenario.

Recent events preclude any further niceties. Necessity impels us to demand a full accounting. At least at one school, Foshay Junior High, book orders have disappeared. According to one math teacher, thousands of dollars in books that were ostensibly ordered over many years have been unaccounted for. In the history department, last year's entire book budget, which included book requests to compensate for high attrition (loss) rates due to student transiency at Foshay (70%) has never arrived. This is one full year after our assistant principal confirmed that the text order had been sent in. Our principal was consulted in October, 1987, to no avail.

Perhaps gardening equipment and books are equated in some eyes. In the view of all teachers, book theft is among the most heinous of crimes for it delays, denies and eventually destroys the dissemination of that which taxpayers are actually paying for, the truth. Yes, a full accounting is due. Where are our books?